⏱ 2 min read
Rodger Githens, a 48-year-old former university professor, was busted in a child sex sting after trying to entice a minor and distributing child abuse material in Fresno, California. In March 2023, Githens, using the profile ‘Tall laid back,’ contacted an undercover agent on Grindr, quickly moving to a Telegram account to discuss his twisted fantasies. He described in graphic detail what he wanted to do with the agent’s fictional 7-year-old niece.
Githens, who worked as a consultant for colleges and universities, was caught when law enforcement served a search warrant at his West Sacramento residence on April 19, 2023. Agents seized multiple electronic devices and found numerous Telegram chats, including several where he was exchanging and commenting on videos of child sex abuse.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the West Sacramento Police Department, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa and McKenzie Hightower of the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case.
Githens was sentenced to 18 years and six months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. He’ll have to register as a sex offender and pay $75,000 in fines. The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Sex Crimes
- Defendant: California
- Location: CA
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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